Samsung Free on the Galaxy S20 5G, Note20 5G, and S21 5G series

Last Update date : Feb 23. 2021
Samsung Free on the Galaxy S20 5G, Note20 5G, and S21 5G series

Samsung Daily is no longer available on Galaxy S20 5G, S21 5G and Note20 5G phones that have the One UI 3 update. But you will not be sad for long because it has been replaced with an awesome new feature called Samsung Free. Plus, Galaxy S21 5G devices have received not only Samsung Free but the new Google Discover feature as well! Both features give you access to live TV shows, news and articles from numerous sources, and interactive games. The best part is they are entirely free of charge!

Information provided applies to devices sold in Canada. Available screens and settings may vary for smartphones sold in other countries. Samsung Free requires Android 11 and the One UI 3 update. Google Discover is currently only available on Galaxy S21 5G devices.

Samsung Free offers TV shows, news articles, and fun games all in one convenient place.

To access it, simply swipe left while on the Home screen. Watch the trailer, and read the information. Then, agree to the Privacy notice by tapping Agree. There are three tabs in the program: WatchRead, and Play.

Explore Samsung Free's features

Here is what you can find in each section:

  • Watch: Use this tab to get access to a wide selection of TV channels from Samsung TV Plus. Tap a category (such as Movies, Lifestyle, News, etc.) and then browse the currently airing programs. Simply tap on the show's name to watch the live TV program. You can swipe left to see what programs will air at a later time. However, you can only watch or select programs that are currently live. Please see the "Customize the Watch tab’s settings" section (below) for details on how to adjust the channel settings.
  • Read: Discover the latest headlines from multiple news sources, so you can always know what is going on in the world. Swipe down to browse the available articles. When you reach the bottom, tap More articles to load additional stories. By default, you will see general news articles, but you can customize what categories appear. Please see the "Customize the categories in Read tab" section (below) for more details.
  • Play: Check out free games, such as puzzles or Mahjong. Tap on a game to play it; it will open up in Instant Plays (Beta). This feature lets you play the game right then and there without downloading anything. Games you play will be saved in Game Launcher, where you can access them later and play where you left off.

Note: If you have a device other than an Galaxy S20 5G, Note20 5G, or S21 5G series phone, you can download the Samsung TV Plus app, which also lets you watch free TV.

Unlike with normal cable, you can customize what channels appear in Samsung Free! Simply disable the channels you know you will never watch, or favorite the channels you watch the most. That way, it will be easier to browse the channels or programs you are interested in.

  • Manage channels

You can choose which available channels appear in the Samsung Free app. To open Samsung Free, swipe left while on the Home screen. Make sure you are on the Watch tab, and then tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots). Tap Manage channels.

Manage channels

Tap your desired category, such as Movies, Music, and so on. From there, tap the switch to select or deselect your preferred channels.

  • Favorite channels

Bookmark the channels you watch the most, so they will appear at the top of the channel list. To favorite one of the available channels, go to the Watch tab, and then tap the channel’s icon. Tap the star icon next to its name to add it to your list of favorites.

Favorite channels

If you would like to remove a starred channel, tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), and then tap Edit favorite channels. Tap Edit, and then select the channel(s) you want to remove. Tap Delete or Delete all to confirm.

  • Video player settings

If you are worried about data or would like to view Samsung Free in a pop-up player, there are settings for that too. From the Watch tab, tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), and then tap Video player settings. Tap Auto play and then choose your desired setting. You can pick between watching Using Wi-Fi only or Using Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Video player settings

Tap the switch next to Pop-up player if you would like a mini window to appear when you leave the Samsung Free app.

The Read tab is not just about news or politics. You can customize it to show other categories like Entertainment, Sports, Tech, or other topics you would like to learn about.

To open Samsung Free, swipe left while on the Home screen. Make sure you are on the Read tab, and then tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots). Tap Categories, and then tap the switch next to your desired topics, such as News, Sports, etc.

Customize categories in the Read tab

If you selected more than one category, you will be able to reorder them. Tap Reorder at the top of the page, and then use the arrows to drag and drop the categories to your preferred order. When you go back to the Read tab, you will see new sections for the categories you picked.

The games in the Play tab require an internet connection. You can decide whether you want the games to use Wi-Fi only or if they can use data when necessary.

To open Samsung Free, swipe left while on the Home screen. Make sure you are on the Play tab, and then tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots). Tap Video settings.

Customize data settings for the Play tab

Finally, choose between Using Wi-Fi only or Using Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Maybe you like to keep your Home screen free of distractions. Do not worry, you can disable Samsung Free easily, so it no longer appears when you swipe right.

From the Home screen, just touch and hold a blank portion of the screen, and swipe right to the Samsung Free page. Tap the switch next to Samsung Free to turn it off. If you change your mind, just tap the switch to turn it on again.

Turn Samsung Free off

Note: If you are using a Galaxy S21 5G series phones, you can tap the switch next to On at the top of the screen.

With the new Google Discover feature on your Galaxy S21 5G, you can receive updates on all of the things you love, like your favorite news sites, sports teams, or hobbies.

To find Google Discover, just swipe left on your Home screen. You will see all kinds of articles based on your interests. You can personalize Google Discover by choosing your preferred updates in either the Google app or Google Chrome browser.

Use Google Discover's features on Galaxy S21 5G

Note: On the Galaxy S21 5G series, Google Discover is enabled by default, but you can switch it to Samsung Free instead if you would like. Please see the next section for more information.

The Galaxy S21 5G series comes with both Google Discover and Samsung Free! You can swap between the two whenever you want to change things up a bit.

From the Home screen, touch and hold a blank portion of the screen, and swipe right. The page will be split between Google Discover and Samsung Free. Choose your desired option. The next time you swipe right from the Home screen, your desired option will appear, whether it is Google Discover or Samsung Free.

Switch between Google Discover and Samsung Free on the Galaxy S21 5G

If you would like to turn off both services, touch and hold a blank portion of the screen, and swipe right. Tap the switch next to On at the top of the screen. This will turn off Google Discover and Samsung Free.

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